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The method of treating diseases by Hua Tuo specifically focused on evisceration and gastric lavage (a surgical procedure), rather than relying exclusively on herbal prescriptions and medicines. His approach was no different from what is currently referred to as Western medicine. This is clearly recorded in historical texts and is known to everyone. However, his medical manuscripts were handed over to the prison warden upon his arrest; the warden, fearing legal repercussions, dared not accept them. Consequently, Hua Tuo had them burned with fire, leading to their eventual loss. This is indeed a matter that all practitioners of medicine lament deeply! How could one assume that the wonders of heaven and earth would remain hidden? Moreover, medical texts concern public welfare, life, and suffering, holding greater significance than other literary works. They are surely protected by divine forces and cannot be allowed to remain obscure and unacknowledged.

In the year of Wuwu (1918), while serving in northern Anhui at the office of the Huaisi Provincial Inspector, I utilized my spare time after official duties to collect ancient books for leisure. In the late winter of that year, due to official business in Bozhou investigating educational affairs, I met Mr. Yao Tongbo, the principal of the County Higher Primary School. We discussed learning and arts, touching upon ancient texts. Mr. Yao was well-read and had a strong memory, and his family possessed an extensive collection. On days off, he invited me to view books at the Mohai Pavilion. The pavilion consisted of five rooms, built around the transition period between the reigns of Emperor Yongzheng and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, managed by his great-grandfather, Mr. Ji Quan. Grateful for this fortunate encounter, I hesitated to leave immediately. After lingering for ten days, I was able to thoroughly examine his collection. Among these was a manuscript of Hua Tuo’s prescriptions, a secret text I had long desired but never seen. It contained prefaces by Sun Simiao (Sun Zhenren) and Xu Lingtai, detailing the history of the book. This was a work Mr. Yao’s ancestors had intended to publish but failed to do so.

I told Mr. Yao: "Formerly, when Zhang Zhidong (Zhang Wenxiang) inspected education in western Sichuan, he stated that anyone with resources and a desire to do good, who feels their own scholarly achievements are insufficient to achieve immortality, should publish ancient books. By doing so, the books will endure forever, and the publishers will share in that immortality. Furthermore, since medical texts relate to human life, publishing them offers greater benefit than other ancient texts. It achieves immortality, benefits the people, and fulfills ancestral wishes, accomplishing multiple virtues in one act." Mr. Yao agreed with my proposal and entrusted me with the printing process. Recently, upon arriving in Shanghai, I consulted with colleagues. They unanimously held that although some dosages in the prescribed formulas were excessively large and unsuitable for modern usage, if patients could carefully adjust them, the therapeutic effects would undoubtedly be remarkable. Additionally, the preparation methods for substances such as Mafei San (Hemp-Boiling Powder) and Shen Gao (Divine Ointment) are particularly coveted by the world. Disseminating this text globally would demonstrate to contemporary proponents of Westernization that the techniques of scalpel and anatomy were not solely the unique expertise of modern European and American physicians. Deeply agreeing with their views, I hereby state the origins and present this preface.

Preface by Shen Xiang in the Second Month of Spring, 9th Year of the Republic of China (1920), at the Ancient Book Preservation Society, West Shanghai.